I didn't like the feel of DM for a brute, I do like the feel of DA though. EM feels fairly powerfull, EA seems to really come into its own later but not played it so I dont know for sure.
Why I like DA, res to all (though pitiful to EN) best self heal in the game, without a doubt. A well timed cycling of Dark Regen along with the shields and tough should keep you going until you have no end.......... downside. End needs to be managed carefully.
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They were appropriately appalled
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Hmmm based on your comments i'm heading towards energy/energy. Thanks Cynic. 
DM is pretty cool, simply because negative is one of the least resisted damage types in the game, and you also have a Cone attack, a PBAoE Damage buff/Attack, and end regen move which also damages and a fast recycling attack chain. EA is alright, but really shines when you get Overload. The other EA defences are reportedly one of the lowest in the game (not sure on numbers) and it too has Conserve Power available as well as Energy Drain, which is auto hit, making a Stamina-less build a real possibility at later levels. NRG primary is pretty good cos you always have the inherent stun possiblity, and 2 damage types, much like DM, in this case Smashing and Energy. It's rare to find a critter resistant to both. I love my DM/EA brute, but she was very squishy at lower levels.
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@Miss Chief
dark/dark can have infinate end and infinate health with careful management, the -acc is great and touch of fear is godly. The DM set is more utilitarian than outright attacks but a well played one is fun to watch and hell to fight.
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Electric Melee is very AOE oriented so if you want a change of pace go for the EM/ you'll be an awesome engine of destruction. There will be times when you've got 80% fury and surrounded by mobs that you will ache for a good AOE but when you're tearing chunks off an EB/AV/Hero you'll be smiling. Also if you did make a foray into PVP EM/ is your friend.
EM/EA solo's very well, mines currently lvl 38, and doing rather nicely.
You will tend to be more of a scrapper brute in teams as you have said your going for solo play with it, so you probably wont be taking taunt, like myself. Not going to give you a build but the only powers I didn't take from primaries were stun, taunt and build up. From secondary ignored the passives and conserve power. From the pools I took swift, healt and stamina. Combat Jumping and super jump as travel, and CJ gives a nice little def boost. Aid Other and Aid Self, as no heal on secondary, and have worked out it fires just fine after a Whirling Hands even when totaly surrounded and it has 2 int, 3 heal and a rech. Finaly Hasten, as I have played to the strengths of EM, namely DAMAGE hehe, and gone against the grain and got 2 Acc, 1 End Disc and 3 Dmg planned for all my attacks, except ET, which just has 2 Acc and 3 Dmg.
Solo's very well, fights AV/EB and GM's fine. No end problems at all once you've slotted ED 3 Rech and 3 End Mod, and as I duo with and Ice/Cold Corr a lot My Def is usually in the 40%+ bracket to start with 
Even without him your fine. On Full fury can one shot a +1 Lt with ET also.
If you want to switch to team play, just switch Barrage for taunt, but I have never really found it neccessary and Barrage is nice for fury, well I think so anyway hehe.
Shame we don't have a patron pool that really fits, so will probably go Scirroco and get a nice aoe dot immob and a nice aoe dot out of it. Probably miss out on the pet and choose stim to help my mez'd corr mate and possibly Super Speed just for fun and the energy trail hehe.
Plays nice, have fun.
Dark/Dark is awesome- you get 3 brilliant buttons:
Soul Drain aka Turbo boost
Dark Regen aka I'm not dead
Dark Consumption aka I'm not tired
Triggering these 3 in succession (with the aid of death shroud and cloak of fear) allows you to run into a mob of oranges, kill them all and run out the other side with all 3 bar on Full looking for more action.
Add to that Cloak of Fears AoE fear attack (-acc hold) Cloak of Darkness (stealth and +Def) and oppressive gloom's Disorient and you've got a build that can do a mission in less than 5 minutes.
Slot DM for Accuracy and End Redux (forget damage tbh) and DA for Dam Resist and End Redux and you have enough End to keep you going between Dark Consumption boosts.
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Dark/Dark is awesome- you get 3 brilliant buttons:
Soul Drain aka Turbo boost
Dark Regen aka I'm not dead
Dark Consumption aka I'm not tired
Triggering these 3 in succession (with the aid of death shroud and cloak of fear) allows you to run into a mob of oranges, kill them all and run out the other side with all 3 bar on Full looking for more action.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm wanting to give Dark/Dark a go (I've never managed to get a brute above lvl 10) and have got a few questions.
I'm a bit of an altoholic, and if something isn't fun it tends to get deleted. For me, I hate late blooming characters, if the journey isn't fun, I'm not going to see it through to the higher levels. So with that in mind...
Is stamina something that is going to be needed by level 20?
Is acrobatics going to be needed as soon as possible.
If both the above are true, what pre-lvl 20 powers can be delayed until later in the build?
What powers are considered the must haves as soon as they become available?
I don't mind respeccing as part of the build process if there are powers that are going to help me through the first 20-30 levels, but are not required later.
Ok, I think that's enough questions for now.
Thanks for your time.
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TO be honest...
I'd go Dark/Energy or Energy/Dark! 
Dark/Energy works well as the -debuff of dark is tasty with a defence based set, and the dark heal covers a whole in the energy (which has no heal).
Energy/Dark gives you a much better "Whallop" factor with the last big hitters, and Dark allows some end recovery and AoE effects.
If you going for PvE, AoE effects are king. Not much difference in Energy or Dark attacks, but /Dark armour has, IIRC, 4 AoE powers compared to Energy having 1 (powersink iirc?).
So consider a hybrid!
Energy Drain is it's name, and it's awesome for floorin the oppositions end, teamed with other end drainers like /cold and /kin corrs, or another draining set like /elec brutes and /EA stalkers you can leave the opposition just sitting there doing nothing hehe.
Please note, let them build up your fury first before you hit it though, and you have totally kissed goodbye to end problems as well
[ QUOTE ]
Is stamina something that is going to be needed by level 20?
Is acrobatics going to be needed as soon as possible.
If both the above are true, what pre-lvl 20 powers can be delayed until later in the build?
What powers are considered the must haves as soon as they become available?
[/ QUOTE ]
Stamina - Absolutely (20)
Acrobatics - Absolutely (22)
Dark regen is best left to post Stamina anyway as it drians a 3rd of your endurance when triggered.
[ QUOTE ]
...The DM set is more utilitarian than outright attacks...
[/ QUOTE ]
This puts me off. As a brute, the trick is to spam attack after attack after attack after attack after attack. I'd say Energy is better suited for that. Infinite health? Pop a green. Infinite End? Slot for end redux. When you get slowed by a nerva spectral, don't come crying to me because your attacks aren't up and ready to spam.
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If it helps, I created a version of my En/Ea brute for the RV test.
That if nothing else has convinced me to stick with it, because she kicked absolute buttock. Takes a while to get going at the early levels, and it's end-heavy (I suspect until you get stamina) but when it's firing on all cylinders, it's nasty.
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And with EA later on you get Energy drain, which is auto hit so no acc's required, you can stick to recharge and end mod's, and you also get Conserve power if required.
Defiant 50's
Many and varied!
@Miss Chief
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...The DM set is more utilitarian than outright attacks...
[/ QUOTE ]
This puts me off. As a brute, the trick is to spam attack after attack after attack after attack after attack. I'd say Energy is better suited for that. Infinite health? Pop a green. Infinite End? Slot for end redux. When you get slowed by a nerva spectral, don't come crying to me because your attacks aren't up and ready to spam.
[/ QUOTE ]
What DM lacks is a KO blow/energy transfer/total focus type power, it does not lack the ability to spam attacks. Smite and shadow punch have the lowest activation times of any brute attack.
DM however while lacking a big attack does have an immobilize (stacks with patron powers), and a fear which is available at low lvl so u dont lose it when exemplaring down. One of its main attacks is an AoE damage attack. It requires more manipulation of mobs due to the cone effect, but DM has at least 3 AoE attacks and /DA has more.
Remember this is a PvE build, and AoE is much faster than single target attacks when grinding with the right lvl & number of mobs for you. Remember also that fear in PvP is very potent too.
Im not a fan of using dark/dark, en/en builds not at least until some thought has gone into how they will synergise with each other. I would recommend FM/FA however, having read about the build up effects fire attacks to a greater extent.
Having had SO much fun with my elec/elec brute in PVE i've decided to make another one. Energy and Dark both interest me, I was wondering if anyone had played both sets could advise me which is better for a pure PVE character. I'm looking for fun, ease of play and that 'i'm a tyrant of destruction feeling'.
Thanks in advance.
PS I'm also looking for one that's more solo'able from 1-50.